France playing petty politics on the graves of genocide victims

By Abdulahi Ahmednasir

Following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which close to one million Tutsis and some moderate Hutus were killed, the Rwandese government in 2006 set a commission of inquiry to specifically look into the role played by the French government. In August 2008, the commission published its findings. Over 638 witnesses, including survivors and perpetrators of the genocide, gave harrowing evidence.

The finding of the commission of inquiry is a damning indictment of not only the French government’s role but exposes the colour bias of the West and the international justice system they own. In the process, the conspiracy of silence that engulfed the Commission’s finding laid bare their hypocritical dealings with Africa.

The report says senior French politicians, diplomats and military officials played both direct and indirect roles in the Rwandese genocide. It specifically implicates former President Francois Mitterrand. Some survivors gave testimony to the effect that French soldiers directly participated in the massacre of the Tutsi.

The role the French government played in the Rwanda genocide of 1994 is fairly well documented. There is enough primary evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt the active role France played in the killings of Tutsi and the elaborate plan the Elysee Palace put in place to cover up France’s role in the genocide. The report names 23 senior officials of the French government as direct accomplices of the Rwanda genocide.

The genocide was planned by Hutu extremists who wanted to create a pure Hutu state in Rwanda. European historians have records of how the French Embassy in Kigali in 1994 was transformed into the nerve centre for the planning of the genocide. The embassy also evacuated many Hutu extremists once the forces led by Paul Kagame overrun the capital city. After the evacuation, the French government welcomed officials of the former regime and held an official reception in Paris.

When the findings of Rwandese Commission of inquiry was published not one government in Europe raised its concern over France’s role in the genocide. Not a single voice of outrage was raised in any western capital. This can be explained by an unwritten diplomatic norm within the European Union that prohibits a member country to question the actions or omissions of another in Africa.

Not whimper of concern was raised in any international court that sees the genocidal killings of one million people as an affront to human rights. The International Criminal Court turned a blind eye to what is obviously an issue within its jurisdictional competence.

Arrested officials

Despite its shameful role in the Rwanda genocide, the French government has ever since the genocide been running a public relations campaign in which it not only conceals its role in the genocide but continues to turn tables and blames the genocide on the current Rwandese regime.

As part of an elaborate scheme to hide France’s role in the genocide Judge Jean Louise Bruguire in November 2006 issued a warrant of arrest against nine leading Rwandese politicians for killing former president Juvenal Habyarimana and a crew of seven French nationals. Last Sunday, one of these nine officials, Ms Rose Kabuye, the Director of State Protocol, was arrested in Frankfurt pursuant to the warrant issued by Buggier. She was arrested despite enjoying diplomatic immunity, and was member of an advance party of President Kagame who was visiting Germany.

This notwithstanding, it was too comical to see the French Foreign Minster Bernard Kouchner a fortnight ago running around Goma and Kigali like a headless chicken pretending to be concerned about the humanitarian situation in the region.

Similarly, isn’t it nauseating to hear the hypocrisy of the French ambassador in Nairobi lecturing us on the need to implement the Waki Report when her country has refused to confess its role in a genocidal scheme in which a million souls perished?

Kabuye was dragged from the diplomatic lounge at Frankfurt airport in complete disregard of all international norms. And we have here in Nairobi, the German ambassador who has lately developed a liking for hearing the echo of his voice, especially when he pontificates on the virtues of upholding the law.

Kenyans have lately heard a lot about the international criminal court. This follows the recommendation by the Waki Commission that certain individuals who are alleged to have committed certain crimes during the election violence be tried locally or at the ICC. The ICC will jump at any opportunity to put an African on the dock. It is very proactive when it comes to Africans. It is evolving into a very political court that is being used to leverage the strategic interest of Europe in Africa.

So far the court has indicted 12 suspects, all Africans. Four are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, five are Ugandans. Jean Pierre Bemba Gombo has been indicted at the request of the Central African Republic while three are from the Sudan.

This is a court essentially made for Africa and will in the foreseeable future concentrate on Africans.

—The writer (ahmednasir@ahmedabdi.com) is an advocate of the High Court.